I was lying down in a dark, lonely compartment of the speeding train

I was lying down in a dark, lonely compartment of the speeding train, trying to sleep. But, quite unusually, sleep eluded me. A vague uneasiness gripped me. It was pitch dark outside. A few points of light flashed by as we sped through a small station and in the dim light I thought I saw a hand gripping the bars of my window. Once again the train was swallowed up by the impenetrable darkness. My heart pounded. My mouth was parched. I could not get up. I do not know how long I remained thus before the train began to slow down. The reassuring bright lights of the station we were entering revealed no intruder. I breathed again.

1. The narrator could not sleep because

  1. he usually found it difficult to fall asleep.
  2. he could not find a place to lie down.
  3. he was disturbed by some unspecified thoughts.
  4. the people near him were disturbing him.

2. In the dim light he saw

  1. someone trying to climb into the train.
  2. someone clinging to the bars of the window.
  3. someone was attempting to steal his bag.
  4. someone standing outside the window.

3. Which of the following words best describes the condition of the traveller?

  1. Cautious
  2. Imaginative
  3. Observant
  4. Nervous

Answers

  1. C
  2. B
  3. D